BHUBANESWAR: Reeling under huge vacancies in peripheral health care centres, the Odisha Government on Monday handed out appointment letters to 581 doctors across 30 districts and announced that it has plans to fill up more posts in various cadres soon.Of the 581 doctors, who attended the induction function, as many as 155 doctors will be posted in eight KBK districts.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who handed out the appointment letters to the doctors at the induction ceremony said, this is the highest number of doctors to join in one spell.Against the sanction for 6,719 doctors, at least 1,678 posts were lying vacant. The new induction is expected to bridge the gap.
The Government, Naveen said, is working to fill up vacant posts in other cadres in the health sector. More than 150 posts of dental surgeons have been filled and another 266 dentists will be recruited this year, he added.
More than 5,700 paramedics will also be recruited this year. Besides, as many as 169 posts of homoeopathic and 50 ayurvedic doctors would be filled up.“We have successfully introduced a placement based incentive system which has resulted in a sharp decline in vacancies in remote and difficult areas,” he said. Naveen also said, the State Government has restructured the medical service cadre apart from introducing a transparent transfer policy apart from giving additional weightage to PG examination for doctors working in far-off areas.
A corpus fund has also been created for KBK and KBK plus districts for hiring, accommodation and transportation of health care providers. Annually, about `1.5 crore is being sanctioned from the fund. These initiatives, he said, have yielded encouraging results in Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Gajapati.
“Our success in reduction of infant mortality, immunisation and institutional delivery apart from other related health indicators is very encouraging. I expect all of you to devote towards making Odisha a leading State in providing quality health care for all,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena said, the Department has adopted transparent system in transfer and posting of doctors in the KBK and KBK-plus areas. Doctors are counselled before being posted in these areas.Jena also said, the Government will start diploma programmes in various subjects to meet the demand of specialists. health Secretary Pramoda Kumar Meherda and Director, National Health Mission Shalini Pandit were also present.
Health plans
Of the 581 doctors appointed, 155 will be posted in eight KBK districts
Against the sanction for 6,719 doctors, at least 1,678 posts were lying vacant
More than 150 posts of dental surgeons filled and another 266 dentists to be recruited this year
More than 5,700 paramedics also to be recruited this year
169 posts of homoeopathic and 50 ayurvedic doctors also to be filled up
Corpus fund created for KBK and KBK plus districts for hiring, accommodation and transportation of healthcare providers